Socket connector



June 2l, 1960v E. s. JR 2,942,231

' SOCKET CONNECTOR v voriginal Filled Nw, .4, 1955 INVENTOR. A savvy/en .5.-coRNe/.L .11n

United States 4Patent O '2,942,231' SOCKET CONNECTOR Edward S. Cornell, Jr., Westport, Conn., assigner' to Burndy Corporation, a corporation of New York Original application Nov. 4, 1955, Ser. No. 544,923, now Patent No. 2,813,257, dated Nov. 12, 1957. Divided and this application Ang. 16, 1957, Ser. No. 678,662

1 Claim. (Cl. 359-258) My invention relates to socket connectors for establishing readily separable electrical connections.

This application -is a division of my copending application Serial No. 544,923, filed November 4, 1955 now United States Patent 2,813,257 issued November 12, 1957. These connections usually comprise a pin-shaped connector which is insertedV into the socket for completing the connection. The socket connector Ais provided with a resilient clamping spring contact for wiping the pin to insure a clean and adequate electrical contact. It is known that the spring contact may be distorted by careless handling of the parts during the makingor the separation of the connection. i '.Accordingly, the principal object of my invention-consists in providing an aligning means to my socket connector for guiding the pin connector into the socket when a connection is made, so that no injury to the pants Other objects areto provide such a connectorwherein the aligning means will reinforce the socket against opening, .if made of sheet metal; to provide such a connector with the minimum number of parts; to provide a socket connector made of soft metal suitable lfor indentation, containing clamping contacts made of springy metal that ICQ 16 for applying pressure to the pin, not shown, which is inserted into the conductor body. When the spring contact is made separately from tubular body, it may be made A of harder stock to resist wear and permanent deformation to insure good electrical contact and support.

In the form illustrations in Fig. l, the spring contact is part of a cup-like member 18, which is press-fitted to the end of the sheet metal connector body. The cup also serves to keep the sheet connector body in tubular form preventing opening of the seam. By accur-ate location of the cup aperture 20, an alignment guide is provided for the pin, preventing a swivel movement which is damaging to the spring contact when connections are being established or disconnected.

The cup-shaped member is peened over as at 22, about the lip 24 of the connector body forming a rigid construction. The spring contact of the cup member which will not readily distort; and to provide a construction that is relatively inexpensive and lends itself to mass production.

I accomplish these and other objects and obtain my new results as will be yapparent from the device described in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying draw-- ing in which:

lFig. 1 is a longitudinal sectioned view of one form of my socket connector.

'Fig 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 -is a side elevation, partly in section of anothe embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom view of the same.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view partly in section of still an- Y other embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectioned view of another form of my socket connector.

iFig. 7 is a top plan view partly in section of a further embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of another embodiment.

The socket connector generally comprises a tubular metal body 10 preferably made of sheet metal to reduce the cost. The rear of the body is provided with a conductor engaging pontion 12, and shroud 14 for gripping the insulation of the conductor. IThe conductor engaging portion may be tubular, or U-shaped as illustrated.

If it is desired to crimp the conductor engaging portion to lthe conductor, which is an inexpensive method of securing the connector thereto, the connector body may be made of relatively soft malleable metal.

The socket connector is provided with spring contact is integral thereto, extends inwardly of the connector body through a slot 26 provided in the wall thereof. A portion of the wall may be inwardly bent to provide a stop 28 for the wire conductor.

The foregoing construction makes an ideal socket connector in that the body may be made of soft metal for crimping, andthe spring contact made of hard springy metal. By work-hardening the metal, it is possible to stamp both the connector body and the cup-shaped member in a single piece. Such a construction is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, wherein is illustrated the connector body 10a to which is integrally formed, as at 24a, the cup-shaped element 18a which caps the end of the body. A portion 29 of the sheet metal overlaps the tubular body to form a backing therefor. The portion il'under the overlapped portion is slotted, as at 26a, to form the tongue 16a, corresponding to the spring contact 1'6 of Fig. 1,

embodiment, extend from either part, since all the parts are made of the same metal. The metal of the tongue is work-hardened during manufacture to provide a spring contact of adequate resiliency and hardness. The body 10a may be beaded peripherally, as at 32, to reinforce the body against collapse, and to provide a shoulder for retaining the connector body in an insulated panel support, not shown. yThe conductor engaging portion 12a may be slotted, as at 3-4, to facilitate crimping the U- shaped portion.

The cup-shaped member 18b may extend throughout the cylindrical portion of the connector body 10b, as shown in Fig. 5, and Ibe press-fitted thereto, to reinforce the tubular wall against collapse and to cover the tongue 16b.

Further reinforcement can be secured by extending" the peened over section 22e of cup-shaped member 18o beyond the beaded portion 32e to provide better retention of the parts in proper position, as shown in Fig. 6.

As shown in this view, instead of a single contact or tongue 16, the wall of the tubular body 10c may be slotted to provide a plurality of tongues 16e. The male or pin connector can be retained concentrically along the longitudinal axis of the connector body, instead of being pressed eccentrically against the inner surface thereof.

In each case, sufficient clearance is provided behind the tongues to provide a free clamping action without binding against other parts.

The spring contact 16d may be made separate lfrom either the tubular body 10d, or the cup-shaped portion 18d, as is shown in Fig. 7. The connector -body may thus be made of metal suitable for indentation, and the spring contact made of hard spring metal, such as beryllium copper. In the 4version illustrated, the spring contact is press-fitted into the tubular body, which is there'- after inwardly anged to form the opening 20d in the cup-shaped portion. A corresponding opening k34-for the male pin vconnector may beV formed, if desired, in the rear wall of the spring clip.

Fig'. 8 illustrates a connector body 10e With the spring contact 16e reversed in position from that shown.- in

Fig. 7, and outwardly flared as at 18e about the bead 24e.

In the foregoing constructions, I have illustratedand described various embodiments of my invention that are provided with an aligning guide to prevent accidental dislocation or distortion of the parts when making or disconnecting the electrical connection. The aligning guide may be used to retain the longitudinal seam/in position if the tubular connector body ismade of sheet metal. The connector body and aligning guide may be made from drawn sheetor tubing to form a seamless c up or tube which is thereafter pierced and slotted. While the connector body, if crimped, lis advantageously made f soft copper suitable 'for crimping, the material may be half hard brass, or even harder, which has suitable characteristics for forming the spring contact or tongue, for making those embodiments where the connector body and tongue are one piece. In such case, work-hardening the tongue increases the spring characteristics.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire it understood that it is not conned to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the 'right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and 4by means of which, objects of my invention are attained and lnew results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodimentsnere'in shown and described are 'only some' of the many that can be er'nployed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

A socket connector for use with a pin connector, said socket connector comprising a tubular `body portion having means at the-rear thereof'for electrical connection to a conductor anda guide. portion integral with said tubular. 'b'odvfin- 'the 'front thereof, said guide por# tion h'ving an opening therein of smaller diameter than thevinner, diameter'cf said tubular bodyl portion for aligningand supporting, the fp'in connector, a separate spring 'contact contained within said tubular 'body'and vof generally tubular. configuration .having a multiplicity of spring fingers, the minimum distance between opposed spring fingers being less than the diameter of the opening 4in said guide' portion, said spring contact having a portion adjacent the Arear thereof of greater `diameter' saidV guide opening, said ,tubular body portion including -a sectionV reduced cross-section co-operating with-the portion on said' spring contact of greater diameter to limit .movement rearwardly of said spring within said tubular body ,port-ion, the distance between said spring fingers. at their front end being greater than the diameter of .said guide .portion opening to limit movement of said-spring in a forward direction.

"References Cited inthe file 'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

